that girl could cook.
Matt turned and got into his car while Sam stood there, hands shoved in pockets, and brooded. He couldn’t stop thinking about one word his CO had used: love. What the fuck was that supposed to mean?
Of course he loved Georgie. He’d loved her since they were kids. But it wasn’t that kind of love. How could it be? They’d only started having sex last night. Before that, they hadn’t seen each other in six years. How on earth could romantic love be a part of the equation? And how could someone who didn’t know either one of them all that well think it was?
Sam went back into the house after Matt’s car disappeared from sight and found Georgie in the same position as when he’d left. Her eyes, when she turned to look at him, were troubled.
“This isn’t going to end easily, is it?”
He wasn’t sure what she was talking about. The situation with the Freedom Force—God, that was a fucking joke of a name, wasn’t it?—or this thing between them. That’s how twisted up she had him: he didn’t even know what they were talking about.
She put her knees down and ran her hands through her gorgeous mane of hair—which had been hanging free since he’d unclipped it earlier. “Fucking terrorist assholes,” she spat. “And fucking Jake Hamilton for being greedy or idealistic or whatever in the fuck he was being. He was an overachiever, and he liked nothing more than to get a perfect score. Bet it was the same thing with this DARPA shit. He wanted to do it because he liked the game, nothing else.”
“I’m sorry, G. I know you liked him.”
“I did. And I’m fucking pissed he did something so stupid.”
“Some people are impatient. Or they don’t think they’re capable of getting what they want the regular way. Who knows what kind of background he had? He might have been poor or abused or any number of things that made him long to be something better in life.”
Her eyes glittered with tears. “You were poor. Your parents mentally abused you. And the last thing you would ever do is try to sell government secrets to terrorists.”
His heart flipped. “That’s true. On all accounts.” He didn’t like admitting what his childhood had been like, but Georgie already knew. She was one of the few who did.
She looked fierce all of a sudden. “You’re a good guy, Sam. An amazing guy. I want to see you after this, and I don’t care if my family knows. You make me feel good about myself. Not that I don’t generally feel good or anything, but getting dumped knocked the wind out of me for a while. You make me remember what I felt like before any of that happened.”
He swallowed hard. “That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. But you know it can’t last, G. We’re too different. I don’t fit into your world—”
She swore so colorfully that he lost his train of thought. “What world? The one where I take the Metro to the Pentagon and teach college classes to military students? Or the one where all I can think about is having you inside me? Or maybe the one where I go to bed every night with a book and Belle and feel sorry for myself because my husband didn’t find me interesting enough in the long run?”
“I already told you Tim was a fucking asshole,” he growled. “But dammit, you know what I mean. You’re Junior League, country club, everything I’m not. Hell, I don’t even know the right word half the time and you teach the right words on a daily basis. I can conjugate fuck pretty well—but that’s about it. I’m a soldier, Georgie. It’s as simple as that.”
Her eyes glittered. “I don’t care, Sam. That’s the part you don’t get. I don’t care what you think your place in my life is. I know where I want you, and you won’t convince me otherwise.” She pointed a finger at him. “And FYI, genius, but being a soldier is pretty damned awesome. Anyone who doesn’t respect your accomplishments is stupid and not worthy of your
Matt turned and got into his car while Sam stood there, hands shoved in pockets, and brooded. He couldn’t stop thinking about one word his CO had used: love. What the fuck was that supposed to mean?
Of course he loved Georgie. He’d loved her since they were kids. But it wasn’t that kind of love. How could it be? They’d only started having sex last night. Before that, they hadn’t seen each other in six years. How on earth could romantic love be a part of the equation? And how could someone who didn’t know either one of them all that well think it was?
Sam went back into the house after Matt’s car disappeared from sight and found Georgie in the same position as when he’d left. Her eyes, when she turned to look at him, were troubled.
“This isn’t going to end easily, is it?”
He wasn’t sure what she was talking about. The situation with the Freedom Force—God, that was a fucking joke of a name, wasn’t it?—or this thing between them. That’s how twisted up she had him: he didn’t even know what they were talking about.
She put her knees down and ran her hands through her gorgeous mane of hair—which had been hanging free since he’d unclipped it earlier. “Fucking terrorist assholes,” she spat. “And fucking Jake Hamilton for being greedy or idealistic or whatever in the fuck he was being. He was an overachiever, and he liked nothing more than to get a perfect score. Bet it was the same thing with this DARPA shit. He wanted to do it because he liked the game, nothing else.”
“I’m sorry, G. I know you liked him.”
“I did. And I’m fucking pissed he did something so stupid.”
“Some people are impatient. Or they don’t think they’re capable of getting what they want the regular way. Who knows what kind of background he had? He might have been poor or abused or any number of things that made him long to be something better in life.”
Her eyes glittered with tears. “You were poor. Your parents mentally abused you. And the last thing you would ever do is try to sell government secrets to terrorists.”
His heart flipped. “That’s true. On all accounts.” He didn’t like admitting what his childhood had been like, but Georgie already knew. She was one of the few who did.
She looked fierce all of a sudden. “You’re a good guy, Sam. An amazing guy. I want to see you after this, and I don’t care if my family knows. You make me feel good about myself. Not that I don’t generally feel good or anything, but getting dumped knocked the wind out of me for a while. You make me remember what I felt like before any of that happened.”
He swallowed hard. “That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. But you know it can’t last, G. We’re too different. I don’t fit into your world—”
She swore so colorfully that he lost his train of thought. “What world? The one where I take the Metro to the Pentagon and teach college classes to military students? Or the one where all I can think about is having you inside me? Or maybe the one where I go to bed every night with a book and Belle and feel sorry for myself because my husband didn’t find me interesting enough in the long run?”
“I already told you Tim was a fucking asshole,” he growled. “But dammit, you know what I mean. You’re Junior League, country club, everything I’m not. Hell, I don’t even know the right word half the time and you teach the right words on a daily basis. I can conjugate fuck pretty well—but that’s about it. I’m a soldier, Georgie. It’s as simple as that.”
Her eyes glittered. “I don’t care, Sam. That’s the part you don’t get. I don’t care what you think your place in my life is. I know where I want you, and you won’t convince me otherwise.” She pointed a finger at him. “And FYI, genius, but being a soldier is pretty damned awesome. Anyone who doesn’t respect your accomplishments is stupid and not worthy of your
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